Cleaning device



1930- G. H. SOMMERFIELD 1,499

CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 16, 1929 Patented June 3, 1930 UNITED STATESPATENT orrics GEORGE H. SUMMER-FIELD, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO CLEANING nnvronApplication filed March 16, 1929. Serial No. 347,533.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for" cleaning windows,woodwork and the like and has for an object to provide a reservoir, amoistener and a squeegee combined in a compact unitary assembly in whichthe moistener and the squeegee are disposed relatively to the reservoirand to one another for most convenient use.

Other purposes are to provide a reservoir of such construction that itmay be produced cheaply, easily and quickly from sheet material andwhich, in its completed form, will be stiff and sturdy even though thematerial troin whichit 1s io-rmed 1s relatively thin; to provide meansfor securing the-squeegee to the reservoir in such manner" that it ismaintained firmly connected with the reservoir yet is capablefof quick,convenient detachment therefrom; to provide simple, convenient means for'operatively mounting the moistener on the reservoir, and, in general,to provide a complete device of the type mentioned which is simple inconstruction, inexpensive to produce, strong,

durable and thoroughly reliable and efiicient in use. p

lVith the foregoing and other purposes in view, the invention consistsin the novel features of construction, combination and arrangement ofparts as willbe hereinafter more fully described,illustrated in the ac;

con'ipanying drawings and defined in the" Fig. 3 is a detail sectiono-nthe' line of Figure-1; and

Fig.4.- is a fragmentary section onthe line y I e surfaces adjacent to asurface being cleaned y to the drawings in detail, it will be observedthatthe present device comprises a reservoir A, a moistener B and 1.tofFig. 2.

.Referring now a squeegee C. I

.Reservoir A which ma 1 beformed from and the end closures 11,

iew of al cleaning the lips and through the moistener;

section takenfice'm Y By reason of the moistener -being larger anysuitable material into any desired size and shape, preferably is formedfrom sheet metal and is of somewhat elongated form and'of substantiallysemi-cylindrical crosssect'ion. It consists of a body portion 10 and endclosures ll, 11, body portion l0 preferably being pressed froma singleblank of material to include, in cross-soction, a flat lower side 12, acurved upper side 12-3, and a pair of spaced parallel lips 14, 11constituted by the longitudinal marginal edge portions of said body,extending outwardly from one side of portion 13 adjacent to the flatlower side 12 thereof.

The marginal end portions of body 14) are turned outwardly to provideflange 11 which are of cup like or dished formso as to lit into body 10thereby to reinforce and stiffen. same, have their -marginal" portions16 crimpecl over said flanges whereby the end closures are rigidlysecured to the body in water-tight relation thereto,

Moistener B which may beformed from any suitable absorbent material suchas lclt,

' sponge rubber or the like, preferably is" somewhat longer thanreservoir 1%., of 'uch thickness as to ht when conipress'seu *betweenthe} lipsld, 14 and of a width to ertend any suitable distanceoutwardlylJGyUllil the free edges of said lips when the inner edge thereof isengaged against the adjacent edges of the end closures 11,11. Saidmoistener is adapted to be detachably secured be tween the lips 14,let-in the relation stated in any suitable or desired manner, forexample, as shown, by means or: a series 05- bolts 17en a -ed throu halined o enin than the reservoir A the projectingend por tions 18 of themoistener provide guards preventing end portions of the reservoir fromcontacting with and perhaps marring replaced whenever occasion demands.

Reservoir A is adapted to contain water or other oleaningliquid andsince the inner 1 face of moistener B is exposed to water or otherliquid contained within the reservoir it is manifest that due tocapillary attraction the moistener will be maintained wet so long assuiiicient liquid remains in the reservoir to wet the inner face of themoistencr. A filling opening 19 is formed in the res rvoir at anydesired point and this opening may be maintained normally closed by anysuitable form of cap or plug 3 preferably a cork or rubber stopperindicated at 20. The said stopper 20 is provided with a hollow plug 20,slidable in a central opening in. the stopper so that the vent opening20 therein may be opened. and closed by the shifting of the plug. Thesaid plug is preferably flared at its inner end as indi ated at 20 andits outer end .is formed with a head or finger engaging nob 20. Thepurpose oi? the vented plug 20 is to permit the water holding chamber tobe vented to the atmosphere and permit free flow of water to themoistener B. \Vhen the plug is pushed in the stopper to cover the ventopening 20" water cannot, of course, leak out of the chamber andlikewise the chamber is cut oil from the atmosphere. On the other handwhen the vent is uncovered water may freely flow through the moistenerB.

Squeegee C which may consist of an elongated strip of rubber or otherpliable material 21 stiffened along its inner edge by a strip of metal22 of substantially U-shaped, outwardly tapering cross-section, isadapted to be secured to the reservoir'body at any suitable point alongthe side thereof oppo site to the moistener B, and to this end anelongated channel member 23 having the same or approximately the samecross-section as the reinforcing strip 22, is riveted, soldered orotherwise rigidly secured to the body 10 to receive the reinforced inneredge of the squeegee. An outwardly bowed leaf spring 2% is disposedwithin member 23 and when the squeegee is engaged within said.

of body 1.0 is a threaded member 25 over.

or into which is adapted to be threaded a handle or handle socket 26 formanipulating the device. 7

In the use of the device moistener B is adapted to be employed initiallyto wet and to some extent clean a surface such as a window, whilesqueegee C is adapted subsequently to be employed to wipe the surfaceclean, the relative arrangement of the elements B and C as shown anddescribed enabling the respective operations to be performedconveniently Without necessitating any material angular alteration ofthe position of the handle 25 with respect to the surface being cleaned,and the shape of reservoir A and the disposition of the squeegeeadjacent to the fiat lower face thereof assuring that the inoistenerwill remain damp or wet so long as substantially any liquid remains inthe reservoir.

From the foregoing description considered. in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it is believed that the construe tion an d theadvantages of the present device will. be clearly understood. It isdesired to point out, however, that the structure shown may be modifiedin'various respects within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

1. A device of the character described comprising a body member, asqueegee having converging side portions, means for connecting saidsqueegee with said body mem ber comprising a channel member carried bythe body member and having converging sides to receive therebetween theconverging side portions of the squeegee, and a leaf I spring withinsaid channel member adapted to exert pressure against the squeegee tomaintain the converging side portions thereof in engagementwith theconverging sides of said channel member.

2. In a device of the character described,

a reservoir, a porous moistener carried by said reservoir adapted to besupplied with liquid therefrom, said reservoir having a filling opening,a stopper for said opening, and a tube slidably mounted in said stopper,said tube being closed at its outer end, open at its inner end, andprovided with a lateral opening adapted. to be covered and uncovered bysliding movement of said tube relative to the stopper to admit or denyhe ontrance of air into the reservoir.

' 3. In a device of the character described, a supporting body, a membercarried by said supporting body having a channel of less width at theouter side than at the inner side of the member, a squeegee having aportion of greater width than the least width of said channel disposedwithin the latter, and spring means urging said squeegee portion in thedirection oi the portion of least width of said channel to maintain theiqueegee in assembly with said channel memrer.

In testimony whereof I hereunto ai-Qix my signature.

GEORGE H1 SOBIMERFIELD.

